Here are the top five categories for the most ridiculous things users do, as well as some odds and ends you have to read to believe . . .

1.       We Need More Power!!

An overwhelming amount of IT administrators said they have received complaints or support calls from users who did not know that a computer does not work without power. In one case, the user’s frustration caused them to destroy their machine, not realizing it simply needed to be plugged in.  One respondent even told us that a user did not understand that they had plugged a power strip “into itself” and couldn’t figure out why their computer wasn’t powering up.

2.     My Computer Looked Thirsty

One admin put it best with a tongue-in-cheek response that read,

“[Users] drink and eat in front of the computer and they feed the keyboard with water.”

Spills are bound to happen, but IT admins cringe when liquids find their way directly into the keyboard, in most cases ruining the machine. Coffee, water and soda were the most often cited offending liquids.  In fact, there were several instances of users turning their CD/DVD tray into a coffee cup holder! One respondent pointed out that not all spills happen in the office either.

One user “brought in a damaged work laptop, swore that her kids never go near it, and then we found spilled soda in the keyboard and the kids’ homework on the hard drive.”

3.       We Don’t Need No Stinking Passwords

One of the biggest problems IT admins see when it comes to security is that users frequently subvert the purpose of passwords by not securing them. Aside from the traditional bad habits of sticking passwords to monitors with Post-It notes, using “password” as a password, and talking about a password publicly, there was even one case of a user posting their user name and password on a social network to “see how many people would steal it.”

4.       This PC Will Self-Destruct in 5 Seconds

There were also quite a few IT admins who said their users have KNOWINGLY downloaded malware, through a number of different methods. Similar to the social network password poster mentioned earlier, one user clicked on a link in an email that they knew was a virus “just to see what would happen.” Another clicked on the same pop-up ad frequently, installing a virus that had already been removed multiple times from their machine, even after being warned by IT to stop doing it. Yet another user continually responded to phishing emails with their personal credentials while one person even tried to download and install a forbidden software application and completely erased the hard drive.

5.       Just Making Some Room Here . . .

Many of our respondents said that their users had deleted important files or data to make room on their hard drive, which in most cases already had plenty of space remaining. In some cases, the deleted files were actually drivers that the computer needed in order to run.
Perhaps one of the more comical things that IT admins see is “creative” use of the mouse. Users have been known to use their mouse like a remote control – pointing it at the screen and clicking it. There was also a reported case of a user putting their mouse directly on the screen and rolling it around on the surface to maneuver the cursor.

Also, while largely an ineffective method, IT admins have witnessed users talking directly to their computers when they have an issue.

One user spoke “to a PC because the sign under the screen said ‘If you have problems with your computer speak to IT’.”

On the darker side, users have been known to take out their frustrations on their machines and colleagues as well. From throwing a machine on the ground because it “didn’t work right,” to shaking a computer “like an Etch A Sketch,” to throwing a piece of equipment “at someone” because it didn’t function properly – IT admins have seen it all. One IT admin even reported that a user threatened him with a hammer when faced with a frustrating computer issue. Talk about stress!

One final piece of feedback from the IT administrators we surveyed . . . Contrary to popular belief, they are not super human. Expecting them to work 24×7 or turn around major changes with unrealistic deadlines is not always feasible. So keep in mind some of the problem areas above if you want to stay on your gatekeeper of technology’s good side. And failing that, if nothing else they’d probably be thankful enough if you could simply avoid “watering” your machine.

Are you an IT admin with a unique user faux pas story? Or a user who wants to clear your conscience about causing some stress for your IT department? Let’s have some fun. Leave a comment below.

Do any of these findings surprise you?

Here’s our infographic visualizing the survey’s US data:

Survey respondents split almost evenly about whether or not their employer uses a web monitoring solution, with only about 10% unsure if such software is being used in their workplace. Contrary to what some employers may think, the survey found that 81% of respondents say they do not consider the use of web monitoring software an invasion of employee privacy.

While we had considerably lower responses from other regions, this view of web monitoring software is not limited to just US employees. 36 workers in the UK responded to our survey, and 77% of them do not view web monitoring as an invasion of their privacy either. The same went for Canada and Australia, where more than 80% of 55 and 42 respondents, respectively, overwhelming say they too do not view web monitoring software as a breach of their privacy at work.

This viewpoint not only spans geographies, but age groups as well. Nearly 87% of respondents older than 60, 78% between the ages of 40 and 59, and 72% younger than 40 do not view web monitoring at work as a privacy issue.

Deploying Web Monitoring Software

An increasing number of employers recognize how solutions like GFI WebMonitor can help strengthen their web security, better control their network bandwidth and track all online activity occurring on their network. However, establishing an Internet usage policy and then deploying a web monitoring solution to enforce it is a sensitive issue for many employers. Why? Because many fear negative reactions from employees, who may feel their privacy is being invaded. However, GFI Software’s survey results suggest that employees are much more receptive to web monitoring software than many employers may assume.

Remember that communication is key to the successful rollout of any software application, especially one with the potential to impact how every employee works and accesses the Internet every day. When deploying web monitoring software:

• Make sure your Internet usage policy is complete and clearly defines what is and what is not acceptable for employees with Internet access
• Communicate with employees and make sure they understand your Internet usage policy and the role that your web monitoring software plays in not only enforcing it but also protecting the company from various online threats
• Invite feedback and modify your policy and your web monitoring rules when appropriate

Survey Methodology

This survey, conducted in February 2012, was sent to recipients of GFI Software’s VIPRE Security News newsletter. More than 1,600 people responded. More than 800 respondents described themselves as currently employed and were asked to share their opinion of employers’ use of web monitoring software.  This was not a scientific study.

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To get a better sense of how businesses are coping with spam, we conducted a survey this month of 200 US and 200 UK IT decision makers at businesses with between five and 1,000 employees. While we assumed businesses continue to struggle with spam, we were surprised to learn how many businesses are not taking advantage of the latest technology available to them to combat these threats and better defend their networks.

An overwhelming majority of survey respondents—72% in the US and 75% in the UK—state they receive too much spam. Not a terribly surprising stat, but when asked about the volume of spam they were dealing with over the last year, more than 80% of respondents in both regions reported no decrease in the amount of spam plaguing their networks. In fact, 53% of US respondents and 61% of UK respondents report that spam volumes actually increased during the last year. Only about 15% of respondents saw a decrease in spam.

Seeing those numbers, it’s no surprise that 70% of respondents rate their anti-spam solution as either marginally effective or not effective at all. So what solutions are these businesses using to defend their networks? Here’s a breakdown:

There are some interesting findings revealed here.

First, while the heavy reliance on the anti-spam capabilities of an antivirus security suite is nearly identical in both regions, it is not among the smallest businesses where that is most prevalent. The highest percentage of businesses (about 65%) in the US and UK saying they rely on their antivirus suite for spam protection was among businesses with 50 – 99 employees. It was not among businesses with fewer than 50 employees, where one would expect less robust IT security awareness and expertise.

Second, it appears that US businesses have been quicker than their UK counterparts to adopt cloud-based solutions to battle spam and phishing attacks before they reach their network. More than 14% of US businesses are already using a cloud-based solution to combat spam compared to only 8% of businesses in the UK.

GFI Software is a strong proponent of a multi-layered approach to mail security. A comprehensive anti-spam solution incorporates a combination of defenses located on premise and in the cloud, which GFI Software provides through its GFI MailEssentials^™, GFI MailSecurity^™ and GFI MailEssentials Complete Online™ product offerings. GFI MailEssentials Complete Online is the latest addition to GFI Software’s mail defense suite. This cloud-based service delivers fast, accurate response against inbound and outbound spam attacks and full defense against viruses, Trojans, spyware, worms, bots, rootkits, zero-hour exploits and other threats.

Businesses Know The Dangers of Spam

When asked about their top concerns about spam, security clearly topped the list. In the US, 29% of respondents say their top concern was malicious links and files often harbored in spam, while 22% cite how spam leaves their company and employees vulnerable to phishing attacks. In the UK, 23% and 22% of respondents cite malicious links and files, and potential phishing attacks, respectively, as their top concerns. Additionally, 20% of UK IT decision makers say spam’s impact on the responsiveness of their mail servers was their top concern.

Finally, nearly 90% of all respondents in both regions say they regularly educate employees about the risks of opening spam that arrives in their inbox. But are they doing enough? 40% of businesses in the UK and 44% of businesses in the US say their networks have been compromised as a result of employees opening malicious links or by responding to information requests contained within spam. Until businesses take full advantage of the latest technologies available to them to better block spam, they’re going to have to rely heavily on a well-educated employee base. We can probably all agree that is not enough.

How do you combat spam? Do any of these findings surprise you?

Here’s our infographic visualizing the survey’s US data:

View the UK version of the infographic

Survey Methodology

The independent blind survey of 200 US and 200 UK IT decision makers organizations with between five and 1,000 employees was conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of GFI Software. Download the full survey results.

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